Date: Fri, 22 May 1998 00:12:06 -0500
From: lambdamidwest@juno.com (Lambda Midwest)
Subject: Re: ===LAMBDA MIDWEST NEWS & VIEWS=== KCPT and Public TV on In The Life
Lambda Midwest and the Rest of the recipients,
Well, Here's a response to the Void created by not airing "In the Life".
I still stand by my comments made earlier. "In the Life" was a quality
program from my viewpoint and isn't being aired when it could be. That's
plain and simple. Would you say the things you just said to a "person of
color" or a "woman" who is concerned about programming?
My comments follow:
--------- Begin forwarded message ----------
From: Bill_Reed@kcpt.org (Bill Reed)
To: lambdamidwest@juno.com
Cc: Cynthia_Smith@kcpt.org, Katherine_DeBruce@kcpt.org,
David_Welsh@kcpt.org,Twyla_Lozano@kcpt.org, LMW-L@UNL.EDU,
glaad@glaad.org,webmaster@qrd.org, qrd@qrd.org
Subject: Re: ===LAMBDA MIDWEST NEWS & VIEWS=== KCPT and Public TV on In
The Life
Date: 20 May 1998 21:04:03 GMT
I am surprised that you are asking people to stop supporting public
television
because we will not carry a series that you demand we carry. KCPT has to
make many program decisions each month, and we probably turn down as many
offers for free programming as we accept. Indeed, we don't even carry
all of
the PBS program we are offered. To insinuate without any basis in fact
that
we are not playing In the Life solely because it deals with homosexual
themes
is pretty wild. But maybe you should join up with Family Watch which is
calling for a boycott of KCPT as well because in their words, we showed a
program that "...was a documentary describing the events of homosexuals
during the World War II era." And, we broadcast a program "...about a
homosexual man who died of AIDS as a consequence of his lifestyle.
>>>>My Response: I would not put myself or other activists who oppose
the banning and blackout of "In the Life" as in the same class as Family
Watch, first of all. You forget a very important issue here:
heterosexuals are in the majority and gay/les/bi/trans people are in the
minority. Family Watch represents a majority. They could be compared to
the Ku Klux Klan, White Aryan Nation or other extremist groups that
oppose a minority. The key word, Mr. Reed, is minority. I am also
appalled at your program description (maybe not your words) "homosexual
man who died of AIDs as a consequence of his lifestyle". This is
fallacious. Lifestyle has nothing to do with AIDS. As most social
scientists, medical sociologists and other researchers will attest AIDS
is spread by the behaviors of people. Not their sexual orientation. Why
is it when a minority raises an issue they are accused of being too loud,
too out, too radical, making too much out of nothing or compared to
extremists. If it hadn't been for MLK, Jr., the great civil rights
movement which was out there and forward, there would be no change in
this country. Would you seriously have written your email in the same
way if I had been a person of color protesting? Something for you to
think about. I'll let others email to you privately, since the list I'm
posting this to is closed. They can forward any responses. Your
attitude is lacking understanding.
According
to a Kansas City viewer, the program evoked sympathy or empathy for the
homosexual lifestyle." Of course, KCPT is guilty on both counts as well
as
other programs that dealt with homosexual lifestyles such a Tales of the
City, a series that Family Watch apparently missed. Despite the hate
mail
(over 100 letters and telephone calls) as a result of Tales and the loss
of a
number of members, KCPT repeated the Tales of the City series. Later, I
joined a other station managers in urging PBS (without success) to fund a
sequel. In its newsletter, Family Watch published the names of KCPT's
underwriters and auction supporters, sent it to the employees of those
businesses, and asked them to urge their management to withdraw support
of
the station, and I have been responding to this mail as a result. You
can
imagine my surprise to see your nasty little piece that advocates the
same
thing as Family Watch!
>>>My Response: I commend you on pushing to fund a sequel to the Tales
of the City, but the issue here Mr. Reed is "In the Life." What about
it? Will it ever be aired or will it be banned as it has been for
several years and KCPT is not willing to own up to it??????? I'm getting
nowhere with this, because you're side stepping the issue. It's about
one program, not something else. Let's stick to the issue.
KCPT will continue to air programs with controversial subjects, including
those addressing homosexual issues and lifestyles, whatever the cost. I
am
very proud of the GLAAD award that I received. Of course, should GLAAD
feel
it made a mistake in giving me the award, then I would like to hear from
that
organization.
>>>>My Response: I'm not a member of GLAAD, but they can monitor what
they will. And it is just my opinion and my opinion alone that the issue
of "In the Life" has been forgotten and the gay community has been lax in
monitoring public television.
If you are successful in hurting KCPT, then you and Family Watch are
indeed
good bedfellows.
Bill Reed
--------- End forwarded message ----------
Finally, I see no comparison or equation of myself and the Family
Watch. You draw that conclusion. Would you draw that analogy if I was
"a person of color" and compare me to the Religious Right or some far out
group, the neo-Nazis? No, you would listen to me and accommodate me.
The issue here seems to be some underlying homophobia that no one wants
to own up to. True, some programs have been shown. However, In the Life
was removed several years ago. You haven't answered the question, "Why?"
That is the crux of the issue. There is a fact that you have forgotten
in my original email: A channel (Channel 11) in Kansas airs "In the
Life" What do you say to that?
I rest my case.
Rodney Allen Bell, II, B.A.
Lambda Midwest Creator/Co-Owner
Political Scientist/Activist
Lambdamidwest@juno.com
http://www.geocities.com/WestHollywood/Stonewall/2178/index.html